Americans should quit whining so says this guy. Do you agree?

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Do Americans whine too much?


  • Total voters
    13
  • Poll closed .

diamond

ONE love, blood, life
Joined
May 3, 2002
Messages
12,849
Location
Tempe, Az USA
' As most of you know I am not a President
Bush fan, nor have I ever been, but this is not
about Bush, it is about us, as Americans, and it
seems to hit the mark
'The other day I was reading Newsweek
magazine and came across some Poll data I found
rather hard to believe. It must be true given
the source, right?
The Newsweek poll alleges that 67
percent of Americans are unhappy with the
direction the country is headed and 69 percent of
the country is unhappy with the performance of
the President. In essence 2/3 of the citizenry
just ain't happy and want a change. So being the
knuckle dragger I am, I started thinking, 'What
are we so unhappy about?''


A.. Is it that we have electricity and
running water 24 hours a day, 7 Days a week?


B.. Is our unhappiness the result of
having air conditioning in the summer and heating
in the winter?


C.. Could it be that 95.4 percent of
these unhappy folks have a job?


D.. Maybe it is the ability to walk
into a grocery store at any time and see more
food in moments than Darfur has seen in the last
year?


E.. Maybe it is the ability to drive our
cars and trucks from the Pacific Ocean to the
Atlantic Ocean without having to present
identification papers as we move through each
state?


F.. Or possibly the hundreds of clean
and safe motels we would find along the way that
can provide temporary shelter?


G.. I guess having thousands of
restaurants with varying cuisine from around the
world is just not good enough either.

H. Or could it be that when we wreck
our car, emergency workers show up and provide
services to help all and even send a helicopter
to take you to the hospital.


I.. Perhaps you are one of the 70
percent of Americans who own a home.

J.. You may be upset with knowing that
in the unfortunate case of a fire, a group of
trained firefighters will appear in moments and
use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames,
thus saving you, your family, and your
belongings.

K.. Or if, while at home watching one
of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar or
prowler intrudes, an officer equipped with a gun
and a bullet-proof vest will come to defend you
and your family against attack or loss .

L.. This all in the backdrop of a
neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and
pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where
90% of teenagers own cell phones and computers.


M.. How about the complete religious,
social and political freedoms we enjoy that are < B R>the envy of everyone in the world?


Maybe that is what has 67% of you folks
unhappy.


Fact is, we are the largest group of
ungrateful, spoiled brats the world has ever
seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S. , yet
has a great disdain for its citizens. They see
us for what we are. The most blessed people in
the world who do nothing but complain about what
we don't have, and what we hate about the country
instead of thanking the good Lord we live here.


I know, I know. What about the
president who took us into war and has no plan to
get us out? The president who has a measly 31
percent approval rating? Is this the same
president who guided the nation in the dark days
after 9/11? The president that cut taxes to
bring an economy out of recession? Could this
be the same guy who has been called every name in
the book for succeeding in keeping all the
spoiled ungrateful brats safe fro m terrorist
attacks? The commander in chief of an
all-volunteer army that is out there defending
you and me?


Did you hear how bad the President is
on the news or talk show? Did this news affect
you so much, make you so unhappy you couldn't
take a look around for yourself and see all the
good things and be glad? Think about
it......are you upset at the President because he
actually caused you personal pain OR is it
because the 'Media' told you he was failing to
kiss your sorry ungrateful behind every day.
Make no mistake about it.


The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have
volunteered to serve, and in many cases may have
died for your freedom. There is currently no
draft in this country. They didn't have to go.
They are able to refuse to go and end up with
either a ''general'' discharge, an 'other than
honorable'' discharge or, worst case scenario, a
''dishonorable' ' discharge after a few w days in
the brig.


So why then the flat-out discontentment
in the minds of 69 percent of Americans?


Say what you want but I blame it on the
media. If it bleeds it leads and they
specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch a
car crash with blood and guts How many will
watch kids selling lemonade at the corner? The
media knows this and media outlets are for-profit
corporations. They offer what sells, and when
criticized, try to defend their actions by
'justifying' them in one way or another Just ask
why they tried to allow a murderer like O.J.
Simpson to write a book about how he didn't kill
his wife, but if he did he would have done it
this way......Insane!


Turn off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New
York Times for the bottom of your bird cage.
Then start being grateful for all we have as
country. There is exponentially more good than
bad. We are among the most blessed people le on
Earth and should thank God several times a day,
or at least be thankful and appreciative.' 'With
hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud
slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up
the country from one end to another, and with the
threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, 'Are we
sure this is a good time to take God out of the
Pledge of Allegiance?'



David Letterman


david-letterman.jpg
 
Interestingly this essay focuses almost exclusively on the materialistic aspects of life in America. Many of you are probably familiar with Maslow's hierarchy of needs which identifies these needs as primitive.

Does this lend credence to the notion that money can't buy happiness?

Many people want to believe that it can.

Perhaps the struggle and unhappiness as a society is coming from further up the hierachy where people clearly feel divided and have lost tremendous respect in the international community...at the hands of those they've chosen to represent their interests (on both sides of the aisle). The transparency of the brokeness of the 'system' is getting harder to deny.

The erosion of trust and confidence in leadership with no foreseeable alternatives leads to confusion, hopelessness and apathy.

Spoiled brats or yearning for something common to all humanity?
 
What about American exceptionalism? We aren't suppose to be comparing ourselves to third world countries, we're America.

I guess you can only when it suits you...:shrug:
 
That's a telling interpretation.

"Yearning for something common to all humanity" could have as easily been referring to validation at higher levels of the hierarchy...within America.
 
M.. How about the complete religious,
social and political freedoms we enjoy that are < B R>the envy of everyone in the world?

While this moron was astonished at drinking water, our government's actually taken away the 4th amendment. Of course, I don't think he knows or cares.

I loathe this sort of unthinking boilerplate so much.
 
I was reading the original post and actually agreeing with all the stuff about material comforts, availability of food etc. that we must be grateful for but when it got to Bush's approval rating and bashing the media.......... yeah I voted No. Cos the whining about the Republican govt. is very much justified. It's time Americans woke up!
 
This fool devotes an entire bullet point to restaurant cuisine (G), on equal footing in terms of defining America as our entire system of democratic and constitutional rights (M).

I mean, each gets a letter.
 
Anyone who could honestly believe that this was written by David Letterman clearly has never watched nor listened to David Letterman. :tsk:



It's true that we don't often look to the great things that we have. However, there's a difference between not recognizing the good things you have, and arguing that things should be better. In a nation as wealthy as ours, only complacency would allow us to refrain from consistently striving for more.
 
I remember David Letterman slamming McCain for not showing up to his show so it looks like he's another whiner and the post is by someone else.

Most of the post is correct and people do take for granted what they have but what is missing is the most important point:

If we want something and don't get it then we feel suffering. If we have expectations that aren't met then more suffering. Somethings we need to survive and some things we don't. The most contented people are the ones who view what's really important and let the unimportant stuff fall away.

To me health, relationships, and a basic standard of living is what I need. People have to ask themselves what more? You could be a billionaire and still be lonely and have crappy relationships. You can't take the money with you when you die. Wealth can make you spoiled unless you have self-discipline. I mean, how many meals can you eat?

If people didn't gamble so much in the stock market they wouldn't have lost so much. The stock market isn't the only market to invest. People should look at guaranteed income certificates and government bonds. It will pay less than some risky items but they are safe and over time you will make enough to retire on. Isn't that good enough?
 
This is something that took basic truths (that we have our basic necessities) and buttered them up with propaganda (that we should not complain about anything the government does for that reason).
 
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